The Recipe Room

Mint and vanilla cheesecake makes for a fantastic flavour combination, but if you like mint chocolate, this dessert is for you. Chocolate Minty Cheesecake has a crunchy biscuit base, topped by a cream cheesecake with chocolate mint crunches in every mouthful. It is great for parties, and children love it.  Best served freestanding as it cuts nicely into wedges. You’ll need a loose bottom or spring-form tin to do the presentation justice.

Ingredients for the base:

• 60g digestive biscuits
• 120g milk chocolate digestive biscuits
• 60g butter

Ingredients for the topping:

• 1 tbsp powdered gelatine (or equivalent in gelatine sheets)
• 3 tbsp water
• 225g full fat soft cheese
• 115g caster sugar
• 115g mint chocolate crisp wafers or sticks
• 2 eggs
• 115ml whipping cream

Preparation Guidelines:

The base:

1. Grease a deep, loose bottom, or spring-form tin (7 to 8 inches).
2. Crush the biscuits either in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a mixer.
3. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the biscuits.
4. Spoon into the base of the tin, and press down a little with the back of the spoon.
5. Put to chill in the fridge.

The topping:

1. While the base sets, sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a small bowl. Melt over a pan of hot water and leave to cool slightly.
2. Beat the soft cheese together with half the castor sugar in a bowl.
3. Break up the mint wafers or sticks, reserving a few for decoration, and stir into the cheese mixture.
4. Separate the eggs and beat the yolks into the cheese mix.
5. Beat in the cooled gel mixture.
6. Whip the cream until thick, and fold in.
7. Leave the mixture until it is on the point of setting (30 mins in fridge).
8. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and then beat in the remaining sugar.
9. Fold the egg white and sugar; mix lightly but thoroughly into the cheese mix.
10. Spoon into prepared base, tilt gently to level the surface, and chill in the fridge for a further 3-4 hrs.

To Serve:

Turn out of the tin and decorate with remaining mint wafers or sticks.

Note:    If you don’t have a loose bottomed or spring-form tin, use a flat-based glass dish; your dessert will look like a minty version of Eton Mess when you dish up, but it will still taste great.

Time:  30-40 mins to prepare, 3-4 hrs or overnight to set in fridge

Cocoa Treats:  8 servings

Well, here’s a little something completely different from the classic chocolate fudge cake.  There’s nothing posh about this cocoa treat, oh no… but chocolate cake in a mug is fast, fun and tasty to throw together for a mid-week pudding for the kids, or just for yourself whenever you need a little comfort food (shhhh don’t tell anyone).  If you’re making it just for one, simply halve the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp self-raising flour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 8 tbsp caster sugar
• 6 tbsp milk
• 6 tbsp chocolate chips
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• Splash of vanilla essence
• 2 eggs

You will also need 2 large mugs

Preparation Guidelines:

Split all of the ingredients by half into 2 large mugs. Or, you can simply mix everything together in a bowl, then transfer the mixture evenly into the 2 mugs before cooking.

1. First add all of the dry ingredients and stir them together with a teaspoon.
2. Add the egg and thoroughly work the mixture together with the spoon.
3. Add the oil and the milk and stir again.
4. Splash in the vanilla essence, pour in the chocolate chips, and keep mixing.
5. Cook the mixture in the mugs; put each mug in separately for 3 minutes (timing is for a 1000W microwave).
6. Allow the cup to cool enough to handle it before you dig in to your yummy chocolate cake in a mug.

Note:    The cake mixture should rise over the top of the mug during cooking.

This cake is also really tasty eaten hot with vanilla ice cream, or any other flavour for that matter.  If you fancy it this way, simply transfer it to a bowl to serve and add the ice cream; the combination of hot cake and the ice cream will be wonderful!

Time: 5 minutes to prepare, 3 minutes to cook in the microwave for each mug of cake.

Cocoa Treats: Makes enough for 2 large mugs of cake!